Australian leader of opposition Peter Dutton on Thursday (25) said the politicians of Australia are jealous of Indian prime minister Narendra Modi because none of them is able to gather 20,000 people and make them chant their surnames.
While addressing the country's parliament, Dutton, who met Modi during the Indian leader's recent visit to Sydney, said an extraordinary event happened on Tuesday (23).
"There were lots of people in attendance from both sides of politics, but I said to the prime minister this morning that every politician there last night was jealous of the fact that he was able to get 20,000 people chanting his surname in unison on the other side of the world, mainly at Labour Party functions," Dutton, who is from the Liberal Party of Australia, said while addressing the parliament.
"I thought it was an extraordinary event and I really acknowledge the work of the Indian community in hosting Prime Minister Modi," he added.
He said that he joined Australian prime minister Anthony Albanese in thanking Modi and his delegation for visiting Australia for paying honour to the relationship.
Modi was given a grand reception at Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney on Tuesday where a 20,000-strong audience, including the Indian diaspora in Australia, assembled to hear him speak.
Speaking on the relationship with India, Dutton said that it was "quite extraordinary and productive" when his government was in power.
He also acknowledged the work of former prime minister Scott Morrison from his party and many on the front bench, including Dan Teen, who was intimately involved in trade negotiations and created the opportunities which, to governance credit, they've continued in relation to a number of these announcements.
Noting that bilateral ties between India and Australia were earlier seen to be defined by 3Cs -- Commonwealth, Cricket and Curry -- and then by 'Democracy, Diaspora and Dosti' and later 'Energy, Economy and Education', Modi said that he believes the relationship is "beyond this" and "it is mutual trust and mutual respect".
Addressing a community event in Sydney on the second day of his visit to Australia, Modi credited the Indian diaspora in Australia as being a force behind mutual respect and trust between the two countries.
(With ANI inputs)
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